Deck board spacers and fixings

Abstract

A spacer and fixing apparatus for deck boards on supporting timber joists or metal tracks has a track member with a fixing portion secured to the top face of the joist or metal track and a web portion pivotally supporting a plurality of spaced fixing members. Each fixing member has a fixing head with a pair of opposed fixing teeth or spikes. One of the fixing teeth or spikes is driven into the side face of a deck board placed on the joist or metal track; and the side face of a second deck board is driven into fixing engagement with the other fixing tooth or spike on the fixing head, the fixing head spacing the deck boards apart. To omit the track member, the body of each fixing member has a fixing tongue driven into a side face of a respective joist.

1 . A method for spacing and fixing deck boards to supporting joists, including the steps of:
 a) fixing a respective track member to extend along each of the joists, each track member having a plurality of fixing members pivotally mounted at substantially equal spacing's along the track member, and each fixing member having opposed fixing teeth or spikes;   b) placing a first deck board on the joists;   c) driving the respective fixing members on the track members to cause one of the fixing teeth or spikes of each fixing member into fixing engagement with an adjacent side face of the first deck board;   d) placing a second deck board on the joists adjacent each fixing member;   e) driving an adjacent side face of the second deck board into fixing engagement with the other of the fixing teeth or spikes of each fixing member; and   f) repeating steps b) to e) to sequentially space and fix the deck boards to the joists.   
     
     
         2 . A method for spacing and fixing deck boards to supporting joists, including the steps of:
 a) marking spaced fixing points along at least one side face of each of the joists;   b) driving fixing tongues on bodies of respective fixing members into the side faces of the joists at the spaced fixing points, each fixing member having opposed fixing teeth or spikes extending laterally to the fixing tongue;   c) placing a first deck board on the joists;   d) driving the respective fixing members to pivot about the fixing tongues to enable one of the fixing teeth or spikes of each fixing member be driven into fixing engagement with an adjacent side face of the first deck board;   e) placing a second deck board on the joists adjacent each fixing member;   f) driving an adjacent side face of the second deck board into fixing engagement with the other of the fixing teeth or spikes of each fixing member; and   g) repeating steps b) to f) to sequentially space and fix the deck boards to the joists.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 after steps d) or f), the bodies of the fixing members are non-rotatably fixed to the joists.   
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for spacing and fixing deck boards to supporting joists, including:
 a plurality of track members, each track member having an elongate body, with at least one flange or fixing portion to be fixed to a respective joist, and at least one web portion having holes therethrough at substantially equal spacing's; and   a plurality of fixing members, each fixing member having a body pivotally mounted at a respective hole and a fixing head with opposed fixing teeth or spikes; so arranged that:   the, or each, flange or fixing portion of the track member is fixable along a respective joist by a plurality of fasteners;   one of the fixing teeth or spikes of the fixing head is drivable into fixing engagement with an adjacent face of a first deck board placed on the joists; and   the other of the fixing teeth or spikes is arranged to fix ably engage an adjacent face of a second deck board driven into fixed engagement therewith.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the joist is a timber joist of rectangular cross-section; or is a metal track of top-hat section with at least one vertical side face;   each track member is substantially L-shaped in end view, with the flange or fixing portion fixed to a top face of the joist or metal track, and the web web portion lying adjacent a side face of the joist or metal track.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the body of each fixing member is substantially planar, with a pivot pin, or fixing tongue, extending laterally, optionally centrally, from one face of the body.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein:
 the fixing head is connected to the body by a neck portion; and 
 the fixing teeth or spikes extend laterally there-from, with longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the plane of the body. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the fixing teeth or spikes are downwardly curved from the neck portion in front elevational view.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein:
 at least one hole is provided in the body of the fixing member to receive a fastener to non-rotatably secure the body to the web portion of the track member.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the track member is extruded from plastics-material or fibre-reinforced plastics-material; and   the fixing members are punched or formed from stainless steel sheet.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for spacing and fixing deck boards to supporting joists, including:
 a plurality of fixing members;   each fixing member having a body with a fixing tongue, and a fixing head, the fixing head having opposed fixing teeth or spikes, and the fixing head extending laterally to the fixing tongue, so arranged that:   the fixing tongue is drivable into engagement with a side face of one of the joists;   one of the fixing teeth or spikes of the fixing head is drivable into fixing engagement with an adjacent face of a first deck board placed on the joists; and   the other of the fixing teeth or spikes is arranged to fix ably engage an adjacent face of a second deck board driven into fixed engagement therewith   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the body of each fixing member is substantially planar, with a pivot pin, or fixing tongue, extending laterally, optionally centrally, from one face of the body.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the fixing head is connected to the body by a neck portion; and   the fixing teeth or spikes extend laterally there-from, with longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the plane of the body.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the fixing teeth or spikes are downwardly curved from the neck portion in front elevational view.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein:
 at least one hole is provided in the body of the fixing member to receive a fastener to non-rotatably secure the body to the web portion of the track member.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the track member is extruded from plastics-material or fibre-reinforced plastics-material; and   the fixing members are punched or formed from stainless steel sheet.   
     
     
         18 . A spacer for deck boards placed on supporting joists, the spacer including:
 a body of substantially inverted U-shape in front elevation view, with a pair of legs interconnected by a web member;   a respective inwardly directed flange at a junction of one of the legs and the web member; and   a respective support flange at the junction of one of the legs and the web member, extending transversely to the web member;   so arranged that the legs and inwardly directed flanges locate the body on one of the joists substantially transverse thereto;   the support flanges support adjacent deck boards having respective side faces engaged with, and spaced by, the web portion; and   the adjacent deck boards lock the spacer against release from the joist.   
     
     
         19 . The spacer of  claim 18 , wherein:
 distal ends of the legs has outwardly-directed extensions to assist engagement of the joist between the legs.   
     
     
         20 . The spacer of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the legs are convergent in front elevation view, and are deflected outwardly on engagement with the joist; and   the body is injection-moulded formed from resiliently-deformable plastics-material.